Though new to school board politics, candidates in the District 1 race come with lived experience as the district’s graduates, parents and teachers. The winner of the race will replace incumbent Emily Chávez, who has served on the board since 2022.
Three candidates — Dilcy Burton, Natalie Bent Kitaif, and Davit Melikian — are vying for Chávez’ seat.
Dilcy Burton
Dilcy Burton’s roots in the district run deep. Her grandmother was a Durham school cafeteria worker and she is a graduate of Jordan High School. Burton is also a former substitute teacher and a mother to graduates of the system, with prior experience as a PTA vice president. She currently works as assistant attorney general for the N.C. Department of Justice.
“From the custodian in the classroom to the senior who’s about to graduate, I care about their success,” Burton said in an online video interview with the group Kids Voting Durham. “And I’m committed to making sure DPS has the resources, the staff, the educators, and the tools to make a better future for our DPS students.”
In an email to The Ninth Street Journal, she listed budget transparency, fair pay for all teachers and staff, and dependable transportation services as some of her top policy priorities.
Burton would also like to increase the number of holidays in the district’s academic calendar to better “reflect the diversity of its students,” she wrote, referring to New York’s public school calendar as inspiration.
In a departure from other PACs in the District 1 race, the Friends of Durham endorsed Burton, citing her well-articulated policy platform.
Natalie Bent Kitaif
A lifelong Durham resident, Durham Public Schools graduate, and parent of two daughters in a district elementary school, Natalie Bent Kitaif works as a public health professional with a focus on maternal and child health.
Kitaif stresses the importance of workers’ compensation, financial accountability, and student safety. She supports wider implementation of restorative discipline practices in schools, a minimum district wage of $25/hour, and the expansion of funding sources, including asking Duke University to make payments to Durham in lieu of property taxes.
When federal immigration agents arrived in Durham last November, Kitaif participated in the organized effort to protect students at her daughter’s school, facilitating rides for vulnerable students and delivering food and necessities to those unable to leave their homes.
Kitaif is a vocal supporter of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the school district. “Kids need representation,” she said in an online candidate forum. “There [are] a lot of white teachers in DPS and the ratios don’t match the student body. So getting those ratios closer…it’s really important.”
Kitaif has also been openly critical of previous financial mismanagement in the district. In the candidate forum, she suggested eliminating the positions of high-paid administrators who are ineffective.
She has been endorsed by the Durham Association of Educators, the People’s Alliance, and the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People.
Davit Melikian
The first vice chair of the Durham Democratic Party, Davit Melikian sees public service as central to his values. An Armenian-born immigrant and a home builder by trade, he is a graduate of Jordan High School –– Jerome Leathers, a candidate in the District 4 race, was his math teacher –– and plans for his two young children to attend Durham’s public schools.
“We are in a phase of contraction for public schools, unfortunately, with the growth of charter and private schools and these voucher programs,” Melikian said in an online candidate forum. “We can’t really change the tide, but we have to swim with it properly and make sure that our children thrive.”
In the same forum, Melikian acknowledged the need to make the district’s payroll system more efficient. “Sometimes you’re going to lose certain roles and certain jobs. We’re not here to supply jobs to people. We’re here to educate our kids,” he said.
Melikian key goals include safe, well-maintained schools, support for teachers and staff, and responsible budgeting. He has also criticized the inefficiency of out-of-school suspensions and praised restorative practices.
Since becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2008, Melikian has been active in local and state politics, most notably as vice chair of the Durham Democratic Party. Last year, he was also appointed state chair of the Armenian Assembly of America.
Above: David Melikian (left), Natalie Bent Kitaif (center) and Dilcy Burton (right) are vying for the District 1 school board seat. Photos of Melikian and Kitaif courtesy of the candidates. Photo of Burton courtesy of the Durham County Board of Elections.
Tanya Wan
